Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125906289 - Tad Resources International, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Santa Ana District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:30 p.m. on April 25, 1997, Employee #1, age 18, and five coworkers were working in the extrusion blow molding area. She had been assigned the task of inspecting the plastic parts on a light table. She was asked by her group leader to trim some parts on the punch press and then to weigh them as a part of the quality control process. The punch press was being operated by a coworker, but she was temporarily away from her work station. Employee #1 took the parts and started to trim them, one at a time. The assigned operator then returned to the machine and offered to help. At this point, the two employees were working on the same machine. The coworker tripped the two-hand control at the same time Employee #1 was trying to re-position a part in the die, resulting in the complete amputation of Employee #1's right hand. She was taken to UCI Medical Center, where her hand was surgically reattached. Doctors were not able to save all her fingers, and Employee #1 required additional treatment.

Keywords: DIE, AMPUTATED, FINGER, WORK RULES, POINT OF OPERATION, STRUCK BY, PRESS OPERATOR, PUNCH PRESS, COMMUNICATION, HAND